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Archive for March, 2010

Just in case you haven’t had enough UFC in the month of March, here is some info about this Wednesdays Ultimate Fight Night on Spike TV. I think Gomi is in for a rude awakening.

New York, NY, March 29, 2010 – Two of the world’s best lightweight (155 lb.) mixed martial arts fighters, Kenny Florian and Takanori Gomi, will square off in the main event of Spike TV’s “UFC Fight Night” on Wednesday, March 31 at 8:00pm ET/PT. Emanating from the Bojangles Colisuem in Charlotte, NC, the bout marks the long-awaited UFC debut of the Japanese lightweight mixed martial arts star, Gomi.

Florian (14-4), fighting out of Brookline, MA. burst onto the mixed martial arts scene as a finalist in Season 1 of “The Ultimate Fighter” in April 2005. After losing to Sean Sherk in a title bout at UFC 64 in October 2006, Florian went almost three years without a loss, riding an impressive six fight winning-streak defeating many of the lightweight division’s top contenders including Joe Stevenson and Roger Huerta. Florian’s streak ended at the hands of UFC champ BJ Penn, who submitted Florian in the fourth round of their lightweight championship bout this past August at UFC 101. Following a victory over Clay Guida at UFC 107 in December, Florian is back on the winning track and needs a win over Gomi for a third shot at the belt.

“The Fireball Kid,” Gomi (31-5, 1 NC) has a long, decorated career fighting in his native Japan. He is a former Shooto Welterweight Champion and was the final holder of the lightweight title from the defunct promotion Pride Fighting Championships. He is also a four-time All Japan Combat Wrestling champion. The 31 year-old has fought many of the division’s elite fighters including BJ Penn and Jens Pulver, and is now looking to secure the belt in the world’s premier mixed martial organization, The Ultimate Fighting Championship.®

A battle of veteran middleweights and “The Ultimate Fighter” alums features Boston’s Jorge Rivera (17-7-0) against Nate Quarry (18-3-0), fighting out of Greham, Oregon. Rivera (Season 4) has won two of his last three bouts in the Octagon but will have his hands full against the fiercely competitive Quarry (Season 1), winner of three of his last four fights.

According to MMA Weekly, Ben Saunders has agreed to replace Thiago Alves and fight Jon Fitch at UFC 111. Thiago Alves was scratched from the card when a pre fight CAT scan showed potential damage to his brain.

A little over half an hour ago, Saunders updated his twitter account, claiming there would be some “big news” coming soon.

Due to medical licensing issues, Thiago Alves has been pulled from his UFC 111 bout with Jon Fitch this Saturday at Newark’s Prudential Center. There will be no replacement opponent brought in for Fitch. New Jersey’s own Kurt Pellegrino and Fabricio Camoes will now be moved up to the Pay-Per-View portion of the card.

The UFC 111 card will proceed with ten bouts, including a welterweight championship match featuring Georges St. Pierre and Dan Hardy and an interim heavyweight title fight between Frank Mir and Shane Carwin.

The second episode of the three part series, UFC Primetime®, features more tough talk between UFC® champion Georges St-Pierre and challenger Dan Hardy as they prepare for their world welterweight title clash at UFC 111: ST-PIERRE vs. HARDY. The new episode premieres Wednesday, March 17 at 10:00 PM ET/PT on Spike TV.

Dan Hardy on Georges St-Pierre:As far as saying I’m not a martial artist…Because he walks out in the Octagon in his pajamas he’s a martial artist and I’m not?

He knows nothing about me…I’ve been doing martial arts my whole life. I’ll brawl…but I think about what I’m doing. I’m a cerebral fighter.

Martial arts is about going to war… and it’s about messing people up. And that’s what I’m going to do.

Dan Hardy on his workout:“My workout is the winning formula. You can’t put muscles here (pointing to his face). And that’s all I’m aiming for… He can jump higher than me. He can lift trucks. It makes no different to me. When I connect on his chin he can lift all he wants…he’s still going down.”

Georges St.-Pierre on his training:
“I train myself to fight an army of guys. By training myself to fight an army of guys, one man cannot break me. “

“March 27 I am going to beat Dan Hardy and stay world champion. The war is on now. The war has already started.”

Matt Serra on Dan Hardy: “Not a lot of guys give Dan a chance. I know what that feels like. I know what it’s like to prove people wrong. There are a lot of people you are going to give a big F.U. to win when you win the fight.”

Nate Marquardt on the fight:“There is going to be a point in this fight when Hardy realizes he shouldn’t be in there with Georges and he is way in over his head. That’s where the fight is going to turn. And it’s going to be all Georges.”

New Three-Part Series Premieres On Spike TV Wednesday, March 10 At 10:00 PM ET

New York, NY, March 9, 2010 – In anticipation of their world welterweight title clash at UFC 111: ST-PIERRE vs. HARDY, UFC® champion Georges St-Pierre and challenger Dan Hardy will be featured on UFC Primetime®, a weekly, three part series premiering Wednesday, March 10 at 10:00 PM ET/PT on Spike TV.

In the first episode, Hardy boastfully speaks about his chances of dethroning the champion, St. Pierre.

“I know that I can give GSP hell when the times come. It’s so sweet stepping out into the Octagon on the other side saying, ‘I told you so.’

“All these GSP fans that are betting the house on him, when they wake up Sunday morning…they aren’t going to be too impressed with themselves.”

The confident champion St-Pierre countered by saying:

“I am the most confident guy I’ve ever been in my life, I got the knowledge, the experience of championship fights. I’ve got everything on my side.”

“One round I can strike with him and try to knock him out. The other one I can try to put him down and submit him. He doesn’t know what I can do to him. I can do it all.”

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Canada will get their first dose of the Kimbo Slice phenomenon on Saturday, May 8th, when the Ultimate Fighter alumnus looks to make it 2-0 in the Octagon on the UFC 113: Machida vs Shogun 2 card at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Slice (4-1), fresh off his three round unanimous decision victory over Houston Alexander at the TUF10 finale last December, will be in with a familiar foe on May 8th, as he takes on his Ultimate Fighter castmate, Matt Mitrione in a heavyweight bout made official today.

Mitrione (1-0), an NFL veteran, made his proper mixed martial arts debut on the TUF10 finale card and showed impressive poise and power as he knocked out Marcus Jones in the second round, and he hopes to make another statement when he squares off with Kimbo this spring.

Posted by lvollmer on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 9:53 am | | | Comments Off on Kimbo is going to Canada

Winner will appear on the fight card which includes the nationally televised Bellator Fox Sports Net Broadcast at the Kansas City Power & Light District

KANSAS CITY (March 1, 2010) – Bellator Fighting Championships, Everlast and The Kansas City Power & Light District announced today that they are sponsoring an open tryout that will provide a once-in-a-lifetime chance for undiscovered fighters to earn a spot in one of the promotion’s upcoming nationally televised Season 2 events.

The winner will participate in a featured fight during Bellator’s April 29th event at the Power & Light District, a state-of-the-art, open-air, mixed-use entertainment venue at the center of downtown Kansas City owned and operated by The Cordish Company. The event, like all of Bellator’s Season 2 and 3 events, will be broadcast live on FOX Sports Net and during special highlight shows on NBC and Telemundo.

The tryouts–which are presented in partnership with Everlast–will take place on Saturday, March 6th at Ringside, Inc.’s John Brown Training Center in Lenexa, Kansas. Members of the media are cordially invited to attend. Fighter registration begins at 12 noon with tryouts starting at 1 p.m.

“In the spirit of Rocky Balboa, this tryout will give an undiscovered up-and-coming fighter the chance of a lifetime to be highlighted on a national stage,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “We look forward to seeing a solid pool of fighters who are looking for their shot to compete at a world-class level.”

Professional Mixed Martial Arts fighters with valid Federal ID cards are encouraged to sign up. The open tryouts will be held in a cage and will include grappling and bag-striking. Competitors will be judged by Bellator Fighting Championships executives and officials. To participate, fighters must provide proof of at least two professional fights. Participants are expected to bring their Federal I.D. and their own protective gear.

The April 29th event is one of four that Bellator will be staging at the highly popular Kansas City Power & Light District. The Power & Light District encompasses multiple square blocks in the heart of Kansas City’s downtown area and features an exciting blend of restaurants, nightlife, and shopping, welcoming in excess of 6 million visitors annually.

“This tryout is the kickoff event for a spring and summer of excitement the likes of which Kansas City hasn’t seen before,” said Nick Benjamin, executive director of the Power & Light District. “It’s a great opportunity for a local talent to make his name in front of thousands of his fellow Kansas Citians in Kansas City Live!1—and the millions who’ll be watching on national TV—during the first main event on April 29.”

Tickets for the event go on sale March 6 at Tickemaster.com and at the Midland Theater box office downtown. Tickets will also be available at the tryout event and in select Power & Light District venues. Check out www.powerandlightdistrict.com for more information on ticket availability.

Web programmer by day, practicing mixed martial artist at night, Larry Vollmer Jr. brings the latest news from the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the rest of the mixed martial arts world - a fast-spreading obsession on TV and online. These are the bouts - they occur in an octagon-shaped "ring" - that test men's souls.